Day 4 Cont.

We wait for an hour then two.

No-one appears...

We decide to follow the spider down another tunnel.

Its a straight path with flat ground so its easy going.

After five minutes we enter what seems like a circular room.

I see several white bundles all over the ground.

'Mummies?' I, think my brain warped from this entire experience.

I never used to think mummies were real...I realize that they aren't mummies but something entirly different ...spider meals.

I start to run toward the other tunnel..

"NO KITTY KAT!" Skipper Bob calls.

"LOOK WHAT I FOUND."

Shes holding a small stick with a knob on the end.

I reach out for it and Skipper Bob hands it to me.

I wait for an amazing thing to happen but it just feels like a piece of wood.

"Can you feel it tingle?"Skipper Bob asks.

"Um...well...actualy no. I don't really feel a thing."

We ponder this for a moment then head of into the tunnel in case the spider returns.

We stop in another small room and have a drink of our water.

We are about to leave when we here voices.

Another group bursts around the corner.

They freeze in there tracks then start screaming.

We sit down and tell the others everything that has happened to us since this hole thing began. They share there story as well. After our small group reunion we head back to the cavern.

We decide to try and use our sticks-which the others claim to be magical staffs-to try and cross the lake.

Skipper Bob goes first.

She points her stick at the lake.

Nothing happens.

We all groan in despair; only three staffs left-three chances of survival.

Chocolate Lover tries next.

Yet again nothing happens.

She tries again and again.

Bone Breaker steps up to try his staff.

Nothing happens at first but then I see ripples appear on the lakes surface.

The stick is shaking madly causing the ground to vibrate, sending us all to our feet.

I pull myself shakily upright and peer into the water.

I see a thin layer of ice on the murky ponds surface.

Bone Breaker steps onto the ice, then signals for us to follow.

I slide down onto the ice.

I take one shaky step and slip over.

Pain shoots through my ankle.

I pull myself to my feet.

I watch Chocolate lover and Skipper Bob smoothly follow me avoiding the spot I slipped.

Shorty starts to climb down.

She lands safely but then slips; landing hard on her right ankle.

Garlandrosie lands safely and steps to meet us.

I turn and begin to limp along the growing ice path.

Suddenly I hear Garlandrosie scream.

Before I can turn to see whats happened,i hear a splash and the screams meaning becomes clear.

I turn to see Garlandrosie flailing madly in the water.

Chocolate lover carefully makes her way to the edge of the ice and sticks her staffs tip in the water.

"Grab this!" She calls.

We help Chocolate lover to pull her out of the water.

Her leg is bleeding from what looks like an eel bite.

Bone Breaker pours whisky onto her wound.

Chocolate lover helps her to her feet.

We limp on.

We come to an opening in the ceiling of the cavern.

We pull ourselves up and into what looks like a Nikau Grove.

We look around glad to be free of the tunnels and caves.

We start to walk forward, into the thick of the trees.

"Kitty Kat.........Kitty Kat....." An earthy voice calls.

I find myself drawn to my name.

I walk closer and closer to the source.

I feel a breeze blow gently on my face.

My hands go dry.

Before I can turn to look at them my neck and face stiffen.

I try to move but my feet are bound to the ground. I try to open my eyes, to see, to see anything!

But I can't.

My mind is racing trying to put a finger on something, anything which could explain this strange claustrophobic felling. The only idea I have is unbelievable but the more I think about it the more likely it seems.

I am a tree.